Editing RMS Olympic (section)

====Sinking of ''U-103''====
[[File:Olympic after colliding with U-103.webp|thumb| ''Olympic'' after colliding with [[SM U-103|''U-103'']]]]
In the early hours of 12 May 1918, while en route for France in the [[English Channel]] with U.S. troops under the command of Captain Hayes, ''Olympic'' sighted a surfaced U-boat {{convert|500|m|abbr=on}} ahead.{{sfn|Chirnside|2004|p=101}} ''Olympic''{{'}}s gunners opened fire at once, and the ship turned to ram the submarine, which immediately crash dived to {{convert|30|m|abbr=on}} and turned to a parallel course. Almost immediately afterwards ''Olympic'' struck the submarine just aft of her conning tower with her port propeller slicing through {{SMU|U-103||2}}'s pressure hull. The crew of ''U-103'' blew her ballast tanks, scuttled and abandoned the submarine. ''Olympic'' did not stop to pick up survivors, but continued on to Cherbourg. Meanwhile, {{USS|Davis|DD-65|6}} had sighted a distress flare and picked up 31 survivors from ''U-103''. ''Olympic'' returned to Southampton with at least two hull plates dented and her prow twisted to one side, but not breached.<ref name="Gibson 1931">{{cite book |title=The German submarine war, 1914–1918 |last1=Gibson |first1=Richard Henry |last2=Prendergast |first2=Maurice |year=1931 |publisher=Constable |page=304 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=cfPd9MA6NWYC&q=A+shot+from+the+Olympic%27s&pg=PA304 |access-date=3 May 2011 |isbn=978-1-59114-314-7 |archive-date=6 January 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210106104028/https://books.google.com/books?id=cfPd9MA6NWYC&q=A+shot+from+the+Olympic%27s&pg=PA304 |url-status=live}}</ref>

It was subsequently discovered that ''U-103'' had been preparing to torpedo ''Olympic'' when she was sighted, but the crew were not able to flood the two stern torpedo tubes.<ref name="McCartney 2002">{{cite book |last=McCartney |first=Innes |author2=Jak Mallmann-Showell |title=Lost Patrols: Submarine Wrecks of the English Channel |publisher=Periscope Publishing Ltd |year=2002 |page=36 |isbn=978-1-904381-04-4 }}</ref> For his service, Captain Hayes was awarded the [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30756/supplement/7302 |title=Page 7302 – Supplement 30756, 18 June 1918 – London Gazette – The Gazette |work=thegazette.co.uk |access-date=16 May 2014 |archive-date=6 January 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210106103935/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30756/supplement/7302 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some American soldiers on board paid for a [[Commemorative plaque|plaque]] to be placed in one of ''Olympic''{{'}}s lounges to commemorate the event, it read:

<blockquote>This tablet presented by the [[59th Infantry Regiment (United States)|59th Regiment United States Infantry]] commemorates the sinking of the German submarine U103 by ''Olympic'' on May 12th 1918 in latitude 49 degrees 16 minutes north longitude 4 degrees 51 minutes west on the voyage from New York to Southampton with American troops...<ref>{{cite book|last=Chirnside|first=Mark|title=The 'Olympic' Class Ships|year=2011|publisher=The History Press|isbn=978-0-7524-5895-3|pages=101}}</ref> </blockquote>

During the war, ''Olympic'' is reported to have carried up to 201,000 troops and other personnel, burning 347,000 tons of coal and travelling about {{convert|184000|miles|km}}.<ref>{{cite web |author=Kelly Wilson |url=http://members.aol.com/WakkoW5/olympic.html |title=RMS Olympic |publisher=Members.aol.com |date=6 November 2008 |access-date=16 July 2009 |archive-date=2 December 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981202151628/http://members.aol.com/WakkoW5/olympic.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Olympic''{{'}}s war service earned her the nickname ''Old Reliable''.{{sfn|Chirnside|2004|p=99}} Her captain was knighted in 1919 for "valuable services in connection with the transport of troops".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31553/supplement/11575|title=Page 11575 – Supplement 31553, 12 September 1919 – London Gazette – The Gazette|work=thegazette.co.uk|access-date=21 May 2014|archive-date=6 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106103936/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31553/supplement/11575|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Olympic'' holds the distinction of being the only passenger liner to ram - and sink - a German U-Boat during the First World War.